ACTION ALERT: Help Cities & Towns Prepare for Climate Change
Across the state, cities and towns face the monumental challenge of adapting to climate change impacts. The popular Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program provides support for municipalities to do just that—providing grants to identify climate hazards, assess vulnerabilities, and implement action plans for climate resilience.
However, demand dramatically outweighs supply. Nearly 99% of Massachusetts municipalities participate in the MVP program and must compete for limited funds for projects, and communities cannot pursue adaptation at the speed and scale necessary to protect our neighborhoods.
The MVP+ Bill (S.599), sponsored by Senator Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton), would rapidly expand the program in capacity and scope—establishing an MVP Trust Fund and creating an additional category of MVP+ communities, which complete the same community-led resilience-building processes and vulnerability assessments as existing MVP communities, while taking the additional steps of incorporating climate resilience into their building and residential codes and selecting four proactive resilience measures from a suite of six to fit their community’s needs.
Today, we are testifying in support of the MVP+ Bill (S.599) at the Joint Committee on Financial Services hearing, but we need your support to urge the committee to advance this critical program.
It’s as easy as one email––just click the button, copy the text below, and add your name and why you support the creation of the MVP+ Program to give cities and towns the support they need to protect our communities from climate hazards.
SUBJECT: Help Cities & Towns Prepare for Climate Change
Dear Joint Committee on Financial Services,
My name is _ and I am a resident of _ in the Charles River watershed. I am writing to urge you to report favorably An Act to incentivize the adoption of local climate resilience policies (S.599).
Over 99% of Massachusetts municipalities rely on the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program to identify climate hazards, assess vulnerabilities, and implement action plans for climate resilience. However, demand for support far outweighs supply—and adaptation at the speed and scale necessary to prepare for climate change is not possible.
The MVP+ Bill (S.599) sponsored by Senator Cynthia Stone Creem would rapidly expand the program in capacity and scope—establishing an MVP Trust Fund and creating an additional category of MVP+ communities, which commit to the same resilience measures as MVP communities while also completing community-led resilience-building processes, incorporating climate resilience into building and residential codes, and more.
I urge you to support S.599 to give our cities and towns the support they need to protect our communities from climate hazards. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, _
